


Eternal Recurrence

by HuntingDandy (Vintage_lover_who)



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, First Meetings, M/M, Parallels with Padmé/Anakin, Pre-Canon, Young Ben Solo, Young Hux
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-16
Updated: 2016-09-15
Packaged: 2018-08-15 07:17:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8047366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vintage_lover_who/pseuds/HuntingDandy
Summary: What if Ben Solo had met Armitage Hux at the same age his grandfather met Padmé Amidala? Young Armitage has barely started the Advanced Program at the Academy and at age 14, he's already a promising cadet. Ben has begun his training as a Jedi, still unaware of the horrors the future might bring. They meet by what seems to be a trick of fate, but if the tales about the Force are true, nothing happens by chance.





	Eternal Recurrence

**Author's Note:**

> For someone who claims not to want a redemption arc for Kylo Ren, I sure as hell write a lot of Ben Solo!  
> I got inspired by [this](http://nicca11y.tumblr.com/post/144950428719/if-ben9-years-old-and-hux14-years-old-met-each) amazing artwork by nicca11y andall the "what if's" in my head wouldn't leave me alone, so I decided to give them a try. It will screw the canonical timeline, but I'm doing my best to make sense of it.  
> Constructive criticism more than welcome, and you can find me on Tumblr as [hell-yeah-kylux](hell-yeah-kylux.tumblr.com).  
> Sit back and enjoy!

Brendol Armitage Hux stared apathetically out the viewport of the transport, the stars sliding lazily outside. It had already been 3 minutes since they had left hyperdrive and the transport moved gracefully toward their destination, a massive ship near a nondescript planet, the former supposed to host an encounter between some of the most important leaders of galactic politics.

It wasn’t that Hux found politics boring, but he had expected to spend his vacations in a different manner; the Academy was already challenging enough for him to be traveling this far when he was supposed to be resting. Still, he wasn’t about to voice any of these concerns out loud.

The colossal ship grew nearer by the minute and Hux couldn’t help but feel slightly excited. He loved ships, not because of the petty reasons many of his peers at the Academy did; he liked their design, the intricacies of their composition, the mystery of what made them tick. He found it fascinating that such big chunks of metal could travel around space without so much as a sound.

So he was when his father beckoned him, interrupting his juvenile musings. He got up from his sit by the viewport, approaching the towering figure of his father. Regardless of Hux’s growth spurt, the man was still very much taller and broader than him.

“You called me, sir?” he asked, hesitantly. Brendol Hux nodded.

“Indeed. I want to make sure you know exactly what your job is.”

Of course he knew what it was; his father had reviewed the plan with him over and over again until he was marginally sure Armitage would remember no matter what. The younger Hux cleared his throat.

“Yes, I am supposed to befriend the son of Leia Organa. I must find some common ground whether it is life-wise or plain interests and we’re both supposed to stay away from the meeting rooms until 1700 hours, standard time. Then I will meet you back at the hangars.”

Commandant Hux nodded. “I expect a lot from you, boy. Don’t let me down.”

“I won’t,” assured Armitage. For the first time in a while, he was genuinely confident on his capacity to carry out his father’s orders. He was a clever young man and he thought highly of his intelligence, but sometimes his abilities were stretched to the limits. This seemed like an innocent enough mission, and a very easy one at that. Surely he could do what was expected of him and the Commandant would be proud.

Hux looked out the transparisteel one last time, watching as the stars disappeared and the enormous ship engulfed them, substituting the blackness of space for the much more metallic atmosphere of the docking bay. Many other shuttles and small ships were already parked there and Hux breathed deeply, fixing his white dress uniform, its golden buttons shining proudly. This was going to be a productive day.

*****

The deep notes of some popular song of jizz echoed throughout the venue. People mingled with each other as service droids distributed drinks and snacks among the crowd. The lights of the big hall at the top level of the ship gleamed and reflected on the attendees’ intricate clothing or headdresses.

Hux scanned the crowd, a glass of tonic water in his hand and not really sure of what he was looking for. There were a few young individuals in the hall, though none of them held any resemblance with the woman he identified as Leia Organa, so he decided to let it be for the time being, focusing instead on the people around him, trying to decipher their place of origin and maybe some personal data.

As he sipped from his carbonated beverage, he focused on a woman with red skin, yellow eyes and a contagious smile. Her bald head glistened under the bright lights and the black gown she was wearing was particularly flattering. Hux thought she probably had Dathomirian lineage and hypothesised she was the powerful warrior of the woman standing next to her, shorter but somehow commanding in presence. He smirked when he saw the taller woman lean protectively over the other, almost confirming his theories.

He then fixed his gaze on a blond man with thick curls and a serene expression. Hux decided he was a runaway prince from a core planet that had to reside in the mid rim for safety reasons, ultimately falling in love with his adopted home planet and deciding to work instead for the improvement of it. He was here on behalf of said planet, defending its interests. Hux had to turn his gaze elsewhere when the young man looked his way, a blush creeping up his cheeks.

He was about to start making up a background for a tall, older woman when some rapid movement by his right caught his eye. There was a boy standing by a service droid, apparently trying to distract the machine to be able to snatch one of the drinks from its tray. He did such a poor job that he ended making the droid drop the tray. The boy discretely scooted away, an overly innocent expression on his face. Hux immediately despised him.

First of all, he was wearing a set of clothing that seemed more appropriate for a desert planet than for a formal event. Second, and judging by his most recent display, he seemed to lack any manners whatsoever, which could be related to the fact that there didn’t seem to be any adults accompanying him, and third…well, there wasn’t exactly a third; he just radiated an effortless nonchalance and smugness that simply clashed with every single thing Hux had been taught. Children were supposed to be quiet, obedient and fade to the background; if you were attracting too much attention, then you were doing it wrong. And there it was, this cheeky little creature that walked like it owned the place and even behaved accordingly.

Then Hux saw a man with hazelnut hair intercept the child, grabbing him by the shoulders and leaning down to talk to him. It was almost as if he were more concerned about the kid’s physical well-being than about his awful behaviour. Poor bastard. No wonder why the kid behaved like that.

Hux turned his elegant nose away from the scene, determined to direct his attention to something more productive when his mother, mere meters away, called out for him. He responded immediately, coming to stand by his family so his father could start proper introductions.

The woman standing before them was, finally, Leia Organa. She looked much more astonishing in person. Her long brown hair was twisted into an elaborate bun behind her head and unlike most of the ladies around, she wore a simple light-coloured ensemble. She seemed amiable in a discreet way, but her gaze also held something akin to a deep sadness Hux didn’t really want to dwell on.

“…and this is my son, Brendol Armitage Hux.”

That was his cue. Hux stepped forward, one hand behind his back and the other one gently placed over his chest. He bowed lightly and flashed a cordial smile.

“A pleasure to meet you, ma’am.”

“Well, aren’t you a very polite young man,” she said before taking the hand Hux was offering to shake. “The pleasure is all mine.”

Organa seemed to be about to add something else when the entire exchange was interrupted by the dark-haired man Hux had seen talking with the problematic child. And the child was coming with him.

“Sorry, sorry, found him!” the man said, holding out a hand as he approached them. Leia Organa didn’t seem terribly happy with the situation but she didn’t seem fazed either.

“Well, this is my husband, Han Solo,” the man waved as she explained, “and this is our son, Ben. Say hello, Ben.”

_Oh, crap_ , thought Hux. The kid appeared suddenly shy, sinking his head between his shoulders but stepping forward nonetheless to shake hands with the strangers before him.

The adults were already discussing something but Hux wasn’t really paying attention. He couldn't believe this brat was his mission and something he thought so simple was about to be actually complicated. He was going to play nanny to a boy dressed in some ridiculous pyjamas who apparently had little to no self-control.

“Armitage,” his father’s grave voice interrupted his thoughts and for a moment, Hux felt lost. “Mr Solo asked you a question.”

“It’s alright, you don’t have to answer kid,” replied Han, making Hux feel even more confused.

“Could you repeat your question, sir? I’m afraid my mind was wandering,” he said, feeling the Commandant’s gaze boring holes in his very soul. Han chuckled instead.

“Wow kid, you already sound way better than me. I was asking how old are you?”

Now that he knew the question, Hux felt more at ease. “I’m fourteen, just turned.”

“Great! Do you already know what you wanna be when you grow up?”

Hux smiled proudly. “I’m going to be an officer, like my father. I’m already training at the Academy.”

Han’s eyebrows shot up. “That’s some serious drive right there. I’m sure you’ll do great.”

“Thanks, sir.” Hux expected his father to add something else but Solo took the lead.

“Ben here is 9, but surely you’ll get along. Why don’t you two go play, explore a bit?”

_Well, that was unexpected_. Yet Hux wasn’t one to complain when his job was made easier. He nodded and turned to look at his family once more. His father had his trademark expression that gave nothing away but his mother actually leant down to pat his shoulder and whisper “be careful” in his ear.

Hux started making his way to the exit of the hall, not missing the annoyed look the dark-haired boy shot his father. Things were definitely not going to be easy.

*****

Hux walked down the corridors of the ship, doing his best to ignore the boy trailing behind him. With his hands behinds his back, he paced until they were both standing before a floor-to-ceiling viewport. Hux sighed for lack of anything more appropriate to say. The shorter boy raised a brow at him in confusion.

“When my father said ‘explore’, he didn’t mean walk aimlessly around the entire ship.”

Hux frowned. “I know that. I needed to think.”

“About what?”

“Things you wouldn’t understand,” Hux replied, pinching the bridge of his nose and closing his eyes, sighing again. The boy merely shrugged.

“Whatever. And by the way, the blond wasn’t a prince; he’s just some delegate from Fondor.”

Hux turns back to look at the other boy with utter panic. “How did you even--” he started but he couldn’t articulate any further.

The kid remained impassive for a few minutes after which he opened his eyes widely and made a grand gesture with his arms. “It’s the Force, idiot.”

“You are Force sensitive?” Hux looked incredulously at the brat, _Ben_. He’d heard stories, read a bit about this condition but he’d never met someone with the ability to control the Force, and it’s definitely not a topic his father likes discussing. “You have to be kidding me.”

“Am not!” retorted Ben, personally offended.

“Then life is even more unfair than I thought,” Hux snapped back and a sudden realisation dawned on him. “But wait, does this mean that man back there…?”

Ben snorted. “Who, Han? No, he’s not Force sensitive. My mother says he couldn’t be even if he tried,” and he laughed, reminding Hux that despite the big talk, Ben was actually very young; 5 years, no less.

“And you always use your abilities to spy on others?”

“No, but I was bored and you seemed amused,” explained Ben. “It’s not something intentional most of the time.”

“How deep can you go?”

“Not much. I can barely scratch the surface. Anyway, my uncle says it’s rude.”

“Well, he’s right about something,” reflected Hux, “but what about you torturing that poor droid?”

“I wasn’t torturing it. I was testing it,” replied Ben with the certainty of one who knows they’re doing nothing wrong.

Hux couldn’t help but scoff. “Of course, because I’m sure you’re an expert on droids.”

“As a matter of fact, I am. My uncle used to be very good with droids.”

“Let me guess, another ‘family skill’?” said Hux, dripping sarcasm as he started walking but pausing when he realised Ben was not following. “What’s the matter now?”

“I’m bored,” Ben sighed. He was sitting over some steely decoration that was certainly not meant to be used as a chair, with his arms crossed over his chest and a frankly petulant expression. “Let’s play a real game, like hide-and-seek.”

“Hide-and-seek is boring,” said Hux, taking the petulant stance now.

“Then what do _you_ like playing?”

Hux considered it for a moment. “I like board games,” he concluded, making Ben snicker and frowning in turn. “What seems to be the joke?”

The younger boy tried to control himself infectively. “Nothing, it’s just…first, it’s not like I have a dejarik in my pocket. And second…you just seem like the kind of person to like that.”

“Is that so?” Hux asked, unimpressed but still trying to come up with something to entertain Ben. How was he supposed to gain his trust if he couldn’t even make up a game for them to play? What kind of cadet was he if he couldn’t formulate a strategy under unfavourable circumstances?

He was still deep in thought when he realised Ben had gotten closer to the viewport and was slowly sinking down to the floor as he waved his hands around, sometimes in a typing motion and other forwards and backwards. Hux was positive the kid had already lost his mind.

“What are you doing?” he asked, leaning over the younger’s shoulder, but Ben shushed him.

“No talking in the cockpit,” he said, going back to his previous task. That was when it all started making sense to Hux.

“Ok, we’re playing pretend, I get it. Now who am I supposed to be?”

Ben ignored the question as he finished his “arrangements”, looking furtively back at Hux. When he saw the other was still at a loss, he sighed.

“You’re not supposed to point out you’re playing, you know? Anyway, just follow my lead and check the status of the motivator.”

That Hux could do. He hadn’t flown anything yet but he understood the basics about how ships worked, and he was particularly fascinated with those that could enter hyperspace. He could work with that.

“It is slightly damaged, but nothing that a good droid can’t fix.”

Ben smiled. “We don’t need a droid. Leave it up to me, Captain.”

Hux’s eyes widened. Even though he knew this was all just a game, he couldn’t help the rush of pride that travelled through his body at the mention of the title. Ben seemed to notice but instead of mocking him, he decided to incorporate his reaction into the game.

“I could tell you were a Captain by the stripes. Is that uniform really yours? You seem a little young to be a Captain, kid.”

Hux swallowed. “Of course it’s mine, and I’m not _that_ young. I was top of my class.”

“That I can tell,” replied Ben with another one of those smiles that seemed very similar to the one displayed by his father when apologising for being late to the introductions.  “What’s your name?”

It struck Hux that Ben didn’t actually know his name, since he had gotten as late as his father to the conversation between the two families. He stood slightly straighter before answering. “Hux. Captain Armitage Hux.”

“Well, Captain Hux, my name is Ben Solo and you should sit tight because we have to do some evasive manoeuvres if we want to get out of here alive!”

All of a sudden, Hux was being pulled by Ben, flopping down unceremoniously on the space beside him. Immediately, Ben started barking orders at him that he tried to follow as promptly as possible, while they “evaded” meteorites and enemy ships. Ben swung from side to side, imitating the instability of a ship during an escape as Hux tried his best to contribute with some realism of his own, yet still struggling.

“Wanna try something?” asked Ben out of nowhere and Hux didn’t even know if that was still part of the game or not, but before he could answer, Ben pressed a hand to his temple and everything started changing around them. They were no longer inside a big, luxurious cruise ship; they were inside the cockpit of some ship Hux had never heard of, lights blinking in the detailed panels before him, buttons and levers and screens surrounding them both. Hux raised his gaze to the main viewport, just to find enormous rocks heading towards them, and his following scream was actually genuine.

Ben laughed as he slid his hand from Hux’s temple down the side of his neck and then all the way from his arm to his wrist, wrapping his smaller fingers around it and sending a shiver down Hux’s spine in the process. He turned to look at the younger boy just to find him smiling, operating the handle with one hand, seemingly unfazed by their surroundings.  

“How are you doing this?” asked Hux, louder than necessary.

“Force sensitive, remember?” said Ben with all the confidence in the world. “But don’t distract yourself, Captain. I still need a co-pilot.”

And with that, Hux’s mind was once again fully invested in the game. They screamed as they jumped into hyperspace; they laughed and cheered as they found themselves safe and sound; they marvelled at the beauty of the planet they landed nearby.

Soon enough, Hux was out of breath; he couldn’t remember ever having that much fun in his life. He lied down on the floor, holding his stomach with one hand and trying to calm his breathing after the last outburst of laughter. Ben did the same, letting go of Hux’s wrist so the room was back to normal.

“That…was amazing,” admitted Hux, his chest heaving.

Ben shrugged. “It really is nothing. Most of the time I don’t know how it works.”

They both fell suddenly silent, staring at the ceiling. Surprisingly, Hux was the one to break the silence.

“I’ve never had many chances to play pretend with anyone.”

“Really? Why?”

Hux smiled crookedly. “We don’t actually have time for that at the Academy, and nobody would play with me at home. My father says these games are silly and I should focus myself on more strategic ones.”

“I don’t think they’re silly; you’re supposed to make them fun,” Ben frowned and sighed. “I don’t play with others either.”

Hux glanced back at him. “Are you joking? Not even with your uncle?”

“No, he’s busy, and so are my mum and dad. I usually play with uncle Chewie, but he’s not always around,” explained Ben, avoiding Hux’s gaze. “What I mean is that I don’t play with kids our age.”

“Why not? You could even pull that trick of yours with the visions.”

“Not everyone likes that; most just find it creepy. In fact, I think you’re the only one who’s ever enjoyed it,” said Ben with a shrug. “Besides, we move a lot so it’s hard to make friends when you’re just jumping from one place to the other.”

“Yeah, I can imagine,” said Hux, lowering his gaze. “I’ve always found it difficult to make friends. I’m not good with small talk and my classmates don’t usually like me because of my father’s position at the Academy.”

“Well, that sounds cool to me,” Ben smiled and Hux couldn’t help but smile back. The younger boy turned to lie on his stomach. “What’s the Academy like?”

“It is rather busy,” started Hux, “there’s always something to do. I’m in the advanced program and it’s even more demanding, but it can be fun. We start by learning a lot of everything so in the future we can specialise into something we’re good at.”

“And what are you good at?” asked Ben curiously.

Hux smiled proudly. “I’m good at knowing how things work.”

“Can you choose to be a pilot?”

“Of course! My mother is a pilot and she was trained at the Academy of her home planet as well,” Ben’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, making Hux chuckle. “I’m not really good at flying, so I’d rather be a ground officer.”

“Hey!” shouted Ben, startling Hux a little, “why don’t you become an officer and I can be your pilot?”

Hux turned to look at Ben and froze. The boy had a hopeful gleam in his eyes, his dark hair falling elegantly around his face, and Hux thought he actually looked like a prince that way. If the word “adorable” had in any way been in Hux’s vocabulary, he may had used it to describe the sight.

Armitage smiled. “I suppose it couldn’t hurt to try.”

“Yes!” Ben looked even happier if possible. “That way we can keep being friends!”

Ben was still smiling when Hux met his gaze, unexpected warmth spreading through his chest. He seemed so eager yet strangely shy; he was definitely as unfamiliarised with friendships as Hux himself, and Hux was at a loss for words.

“You know, you’re not really that boring, _Armitage_ ,” declared Ben, stressing every syllable of the older boy’s name.

Hux smiled again as he ruffled Ben’s hair. “Come on, brat. Let’s play that hide-and-seek game of yours.”

*****

The cruise ship was even bigger than it appeared, full of rooms and corridors that merged with each other. _Anyone could get lost here if they weren_ _’_ _t careful_ , Hux thought as he ran down yet another passageway. He was convinced this game was one of the silliest in the whole galaxy; he hadn’t liked hide-and-seek even when he was younger and every time he played it, he confirmed why he hated it.

He was about to turn another corner when some chattering in hushed tones stopped him. He couldn’t pinpoint to whom most of the voices belonged to but there was one he could recognise even in his sleep: the voice of his father.

“Believe me, everything is perfectly under control.”

The next voice sounded jittery. “How are you so sure about it? The negotiations aren’t going anywhere. We have absolutely no leverage and everyone is growing impatient.”

“Would you count yourself amongst the impatient parties, Ambassador?” Brendol Hux’s deep voice rumbled throughout the corridor, and Armitage didn’t need to see the Ambassador to know he was intimidated.

“If I may speak,” said another of the voices, “my people and I just want some kind of guarantee that the negotiations will develop in our favour, or that we will have enough _incentives_ to offer to our counterparts of the New Republic to tip the scales.”

“I understand your concerns, and I’m already making sure we are in possession of the required incentives,” explained the Commandant. “I have someone of my entire trust overseeing the matter”.

“It’s not you we doubt, Commandant--” started another voice, though it was promptly interrupted by the nervous individual of the beginning.

“Will that be sufficient? How do we know the boy will be enough? I’ve heard Organa is ruthless. What if she prefers to put her son in danger before giving in an inch when it comes to that disgusting treaty?”

Hux had to cover his mouth to stop a gasp from escaping it. There was no mistaking what these people were talking about, or rather of _whom_.

“She won’t,” replied the Commandant, calm but icy. “You forget I’m a remarkable strategist, Ambassador. I have enough backup plans to address every contingency, and most importantly, I am willing to go to whatever lengths are necessary to ensure victory. The child will do.”

Soon enough, footsteps started echoing as the group of people headed in the opposite direction Hux was. He tried to get up but found it was more difficult than it should and had nothing to do with being crouched for a long time.

He was angry at himself for letting things get out of hand, for playing when he should be working and ultimately overlooking his main objective. Hux wasn’t supposed to make friends with Ben; he was supposed to lure him in and hand him to his father. Gaining his trust was part of the scheme, but it was just a means to an end, not the end itself.

And his father. Oh, his father trusted him so much. He had said so himself: someone of his entire trust was overseeing the matter. He relied on him, yet Hux was going to fail the Commandant again, for the umpteenth time in his life. He knew he wasn’t his father’s favourite person, let alone a worthy son, but he wanted to be good enough, he wanted his father to be proud of him.

On the other hand, the whole plan was ultimately suspicious. Hux might’ve been 14 but he knew something illegal when he saw it, and as much as Ben’s parents were traitors to the glorious Empire his father always talked about, Ben had little to do with that. Furthermore, his father was asking Hux to help him kidnap and perhaps hurt someone; a child, a friend, his only friend.

Hux pressed the tips of his fingers to his temples and breathed in deeply a couple of times. He never thought there would come a day in which he’d deny his father something, and he wasn’t entirely sure of what he was going to do yet, but he at least had to give Ben a chance to fight back.

He was jogging distractedly down another of those infinite corridors of the cruise ship when he clashed against Ben while turning a corner. His heart started beating impossibly faster at the sight of the boy. Ben had a sceptical look on his face.

“Uhm, you weren’t lying when you said you’d never played this game. You’re really bad at it. You’re supposed to hide.”

“Ben, I--” started Hux but everything he wanted to say got stuck in his throat and his brain didn’t seem to be working properly. “Yeah, I guess you could say so.”

The boy shrugged. “It’s fine. You can count instead and I’ll hide. You’re gonna be 30 before you find me--”

“No!” shouted Hux without actually meaning to. Ben looked at him with a raised brow. “I mean, why don’t we play something else instead?” _Something you don_ _’_ _t have to leave my sight for_ , he thought _._

“Like what?” asked Ben, suspicion still visible on his face and Hux remembered he had to take his mind off of the recent events if he wanted to hide them from the Force sensitive kid.

“You said you had a nice ship, didn’t you? Why don’t you show it to me?”

“We can’t fly it if that’s what you’re thinking…”

“No, of course not!” said Hux with a roll of his eyes, because deep inside he wished they could do exactly that. “I just want to see it. It’s a…classic.”

Ben’s eyebrow was still raised, yet he started his way towards the hangars where his family’s ship and the rest of the shuttles were stored. Hux glanced nervously at his chrono, realising he was running out of time to come up with some contingency plan.

On their way to the hangars, they passed down the big hall where the reception had been held and Hux looked around the room, hoping to find Leia Organa or the mess that was Han Solo, but there were just a couple of individuals having some drinks and talking to each other. The Solos must be in one of the numerous meetings that were being held at that moment and Hux felt like an idiot for even hoping.

By the time they got to the hangars, 1700 were already dangerously close. Hux glanced around nervously, expecting the Commandant to appear out of nowhere anytime. Meanwhile, Ben was talking amicably about the many perks of the Falcon, which Hux couldn’t concentrate on, and then Ben held his hand and dragged him to the ship. Hux’s brow furrowed.

“You’re gonna love this,” said Ben self-assuredly, his small padawan braid swinging with every confident step he took towards the ship he called home. The reason why Hux’s cheekbones were flushed was way beyond his own understanding.

Hux was pleasantly surprised when the interior of the Falcon didn’t seem unfamiliar at all. It was the exact same ship Ben had projected for the two of them while playing and Hux felt like he had some deeper understanding of it, as if he could easily start calibrating its systems given the chance. Ben walked him around the main area and introduced him to the console, to the most important levers and screens with the same excitement an infatuated individual would show when talking about their beloved.

Hux’s heart felt constricted. Now that he had finally made up his mind, he realised they were in the worst place to orchestrate an emergency escape. He was supposed to meet his father right at these hangars in approximately 20 minutes and he had no clue how to get Ben to safety, let alone alerting the boy’s parents of the danger. Ben was still chattering as he pointed at a hatch by his feet when Hux interrupted him.

“Do you have a way to communicate with your mother?” The look in Ben’s eyes told Hux he wasn’t making any sense and he might as well expect a sarcastic comment in return. “Without being in the same room, I mean.”

Ben hesitated. “If you mean the Force, I’ve tried but it’s hard. Why?”

“Because Ben, you’re in danger.”

The expression on Ben’s face was first of disbelief, then slowly turned into worry. Hux didn’t like it but he decided not to insult Ben’s intelligence and be frank about the situation. That way he also hoped to ensure his absolute cooperation.

“But it’s okay,” Hux tried, “we can still get you to safety.”

“What’s going on?” asked Ben, the most serious Hux had seen him. The older boy struggled to swallow.

“There’s bad people here, Ben. They won’t stop at anything to get what they want and you could help them get it. They must be on their way now.”

The kid looked positively pale now. “And what’re we going to do?”

“I’ll handle it,” assured Hux with a confidence he didn’t feel as he leant down in front of Ben and placed his hands gently on his shoulders. “But you have to promise me two things. The first, that you’ll hide inside that hatch you showed me, and second, that you’ll do your best to tell your mother she has to come right now, okay?”

Ben nodded, though he seemed everything but okay. Hux tried to force a smile that came out more like a grimace and mentally cursed his incapacity to reassure people. He hadn’t realised how much he cared for the safety of this petulant child until that very moment and the whole idea was overwhelming in itself.

“Hey, don’t pull that face on me. It’ll be alright, I’ll take care of this,” he tried again and a tear fell from one of Ben’s eyes. _So, wrong words_.

“What will happen to you?” asked Ben with trembling lips and Hux felt stupid because the kid he was supposed to help kidnap was afraid something would happen to _him_. Life was definitely not fair. Hux cupped one of Ben’s cheeks with his hand.

“I’ll be fine. I’m in training, remember?  I know how to defend myself.”

“But they’re grown-ups!” shouted Ben and Hux had to admit he had a point. “And if you go, I won’t see you again.”

Silence fell heavy. It was as if all the oxygen had been extracted from Hux’s lungs, leaving some cotton-like fibre in its place and making it hard to breathe, to move, to _exist_. He swallowed audibly for the umpteenth time in the last hour.

“You will. I promise.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Captain Hux’s word.”

That statement visibly calmed Ben down and Hux felt like he could take a few breaths now. He opened the surprisingly heavy lid of the hatch with both hands and helped Ben in, whose eyes were still watery. Hux leant down one last time.

“Remember: don’t come out and call your mother.”

Ben nodded again, and right when Hux was about to get up, he held him by the wrist, placing something in Hux’s hand and closing his own around it. “You are my only friend.”

Hux licked his lips, his hand trembling around whatever it was Ben placed in it. “I know,” he said before putting the lid of the hatch back on.

He exited the Falcon hurriedly and ducked behind some of the ships in order to gauge where the Commandant could be. At 1700 on the dot, and just when Hux was ducking his last ship in order to get to the entrance of the hangars, Brendol Hux arrived at the door. Armitage’s heart was pounding hard when he stood before him.

“Where’s the boy?” asked the Commandant and Hux had to stand with his hands behind his back so his father wouldn’t see him fidgeting. He took a deep breath.

“He escaped,” informed Hux in an impersonal manner. The Commandant raised a brow.

“Pardon me?”

“He escaped. I let him out of my sight for a moment and Ben Organa-Solo escaped.”

“Are you trying to tell me,” started the Commandant, “that a nine-year-old child outsmarted you?”

Hux nodded once, solemnly. The slap that followed wasn’t exactly unexpected but it stung nevertheless. Hux’s cheek turned a furious red as the heat of the blow spread. It had been years since he had last cried in front of his father, yet he was somehow feeling the need to shed a few tears, which he valiantly held back.

“You ungrateful boy. Is this the way you honour your mother’s memory? I would’ve left you back home if I’d known you’d fail so miserably,” expressed the Commandant, his voice lacking emotion even when scolding. “Although perhaps, I _did_ know you would fail. Your reputation precedes you, after all--”

Hux never knew what his father planned on saying afterwards because right then as if on cue, both Leia and Han came through the door, their eyes wide, certainly expecting the worst. Leia’s eyes stopped shortly over the image of the Commandant towering over Hux, and quickly slid down, remaining for a few seconds on Hux’s reddened cheek, but soon she and her husband rushed to the back of the hangars where the Falcon stood.

The expression on Brendol Hux’s face was bitter to say the least when the motors of the Falcon cracked to life, and Hux couldn’t hold back a small smirk of his own as he kept his head down. When his mother arrived with a puzzled look shortly after, the three of them witnessed the Falcon’s departure and Hux knew the party was over.

At 1715 hours, Hux’s family boarded their shuttle. His mother had planned for them to stay at the planet near the cruise ship at least a couple of days, but his father decided they had to urgently get back home that same day.

Hux stared at the stars, searching for the faintest glimpse that would give away the location of a Corellian YT-1300 light freighter and he sighed because even if he found it, there was no way to know the condition of its occupants, let alone of a particular one. His hand however, remained inside one of his pockets, where a necklace holding a small, red pendant was tucked away safely.

As the cruise ship became smaller and smaller while shrinking into the distance, Hux thought vaguely that he was glad everything was over and he could go back to his unremarkable life, no dark-haired boys to disturb it. He also thought being a hero _sucked_.


End file.
